Richard Payne

Richard Payne is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, affiliated with the Department of History, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, the College, and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC). His research centers on the Sasanian (Iranian) Empire in Late Antiquity (200–800 CE), focusing on imperial integration of diverse populations, religious pluralism (particularly Syriac Christian and Zoroastrian interactions), and cross-regional connections between the Middle East and East Asia via Inner Asian networks.

• Education: PhD in History from Princeton University (2009)

His recent work includes co-editing Desigualdades Antiguas (2023), analyzing socio-economic disparities in ancient empires, and The Limits of Empire in Ancient Afghanistan (2020), which examines frontier governance and resistance. His 2015 monograph A State of Mixture investigates religious diversity under Sasanian rule.

• Scientific Awards: World Award for Book of the Year (Iran), Jacques Barzun Prize (American Philosophical Society), Ehsan Yarshater Prize (International Society for Iranian Studies), Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (American Academy of Religion)

Payne’s publications reflect his comparative approach to empires, emphasizing material and ideological interdependencies across the Ancient Mediterranean, Near East, and Inner Asia. He has also contributed to collaborative projects on cosmopolitanism and post-Roman community-building.